The winding brick pathways of Peddler’s Village in Lahaska, lined with numerous expertly crafted scarecrows lend themselves well to the cultural phenomenon that is fall in Bucks County.

In fact, in its 34th year, Peddler’s Village scarecrow season and annual Scarecrow Festival have become a fall staple for many in Bucks County and its surroundings. This year, from Monday, Sept. 9, through Sunday, Sept. 29, visitors to the village can vote for the winners of this season’s scarecrow class — picking participants to win close to $5,000 in prizes.

The scarecrows — with themes including Philly Love, Quite the Character Scarecrow, A Traditional/Whirligig Scarecrow, Extraordinary Contemporary Scarecrow, Kids Only and group creations — will be on display through Sunday, Oct. 27.

To enter the competition, participants can visit the Peddler’s Village website (www.peddlersvillage.com) and submit an application by Sept. 3.

Advertisement

Last year, Pearl S. Buck International Volunteer Association entered for the first time, creating the Bucks County humanitarian, author and mother herself as a scarecrow. This year, the association is entering again as home-schooled high school students Angelina and Mark Bartorelli of Dublin create O-Lan, a character from Pearl S. Buck’s novel “The Good Earth.”

According to Cynthia Louden, chair of special events/community projects for Pearl S. Buck volunteer association, O-Lan is a peasant farmer and mother in China who does everything she can to take care of her family, including stealing pearls.

“We chose Angelina and Mark to work on the scarecrow because of their dedication, reliability and hard work,” Louden said. Though the organization didn’t win any prizes last year, it hopes to possibly gain some notoriety in this year’s category of “Quite the Character Scarecrow.”

The festivities culminate in the Scarecrow Festival to be held this year on Saturday, Sept. 21, and Sunday, Sept. 22. If you want to hone your scarecrow-making skills to confidently enter next year’s contest, there are eight separate Scarecrow-Making Workshops held throughout the weekend.

The slots fill up fast so be sure to register in advance by visiting the village’s website or calling 215-794-4057. For $30, up to four people can attend the sessions, getting all of the necessities to create a life-size scarecrow — minus the brain.

And, like all Peddler’s Village festivals, attendees can show off how well they can stuff their face — this time with scrumptious pumpkin pie baked at Town Crier Bakery. Be sure to sign up by 2:45 p.m. for the contest at 3 p.m. each day.

According to Eve Gelman, public relations and social media manager, the festival is held early in the season so that attendees can create the perfect Halloween accents to decorate their homes. Pumpkin painting will take place on Sunday beginning at 11 a.m. until supplies run out; participants will be charged based on pumpkin weight.

“My favorite day of the season is when all the participants come and set up their scarecrows,” Gelman said. “You can meet all the creators and asked what inspired them to do what they did.”

This year’s scarecrow set-up day is Sunday, Sept. 8.

“The village is festive for two full months helping us say goodbye to summer,” Gelman said. “Plus, fall in Bucks County is such a fantastic time with all the beautiful leaf changes.”